Freestanding ceramic tile manufacture

Abstract

A method of producing a freestanding ceramic tile. The method involves: grit-blasting a substrate using a grit size in the range from 36 to 220 mesh; depositing a release layer of carbon or graphite from 2 to 10 microns thick on the grit-blasted surface of the substrate; applying ceramic over the release layer until a desired thickness of ceramic is achieved to form a ceramic layer; heating the substrate, release layer, and ceramic layer to a temperature of from 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius; keeping the substrate, release layer, and ceramic layer at a temperature from 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius for a time from 10 to 20 minutes to remove the release layer; and cooling the substrate and ceramic layer at a rate of at least 200 degrees Celsius per minute, such that the ceramic layer separates from the substrate to produce a freestanding ceramic tile.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of producing a freestanding ceramic tile, the method comprising the steps of:
 grit-blasting a substrate using a grit size in the range from 36 mesh to 220 mesh;   depositing a release layer on the grit-blasted surface of the substrate, wherein the release layer is a layer of carbon or a layer of graphite, the release layer being from 2 to 10 microns thick;   applying ceramic over the release layer until a desired thickness of ceramic is achieved to form a ceramic layer;   heating the substrate, release layer, and ceramic layer to a temperature of from 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius;   keeping the substrate, release layer, and ceramic layer at a temperature from 800 to 1000 degrees Celsius for a time from 10 to 20 minutes to remove the release layer; and   cooling the substrate and ceramic layer via quenching at a rate of at least 200 degrees Celsius per minute, such that the ceramic layer separates from the substrate to produce a freestanding ceramic tile.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one selected from the list of nickel and stainless steel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the grit comprises one or more of alumina, metal shot, sand, or solid CO 2 . 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the release layer is applied using vacuum sputtering or physical abrasion. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic is applied over the release layer by plasma spray. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the ceramic layer is 1.5 mm or more. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is heated using an air furnace. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is quenched using at least one selected from the list of air, and water.